By Iyemah David
The Coordinator of the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Dr Aminu Magashi Garba has called for consultative meetings between relevant stakeholders in the health sector to strengthen the health insurance scheme.
In an interview with Health Reporters in Abuja, Magashi said the aim of the meetings between the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the Office of the Head of Civil Service, is to discuss and forge a unified approach to health sector in the country.
He highlighted the importance of transparency and public engagement in these reforms.
Dr Magashi also urged the NHIA to publicly share the details of its reform agenda, as referenced by Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, in a recent tweet.
“The NHIA is also humbly encouraged to share with the public the reformed agenda referred to by Pate. This transparency is crucial for fostering trust and ensuring stakeholder buy-in,” he added.
Additionally, he highlighted the necessity of establishing a governing council for the NHIA with the approval of the Coordinating Ministry for Health and Social Welfare.
The AHBN coordinator asserted that no reform agenda would be complete without a governing council to provide essential oversight functions to the NHIA.
“My humble submission is that the establishment of a governing council is critical for the effective implementation of health reforms,” he added.
Dr Magashi added that the AHBN continues to advocate for collaborative efforts and structured governance to enhance Nigeria’s health sector.
It would be recall that Prof. Pate advised the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, over the approval of the creation of a new Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) for civil servants.
Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan said the HMO would be called the Federal Civil Service Health Maintenance Limited.
The Head of Service represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the creation of a new Health Maintenance Organisation to be called Federal Civil Service Health Maintenance Limited.
She said the significance of the approval attests to the government’s recognition of the invaluable contributions of its workforce.
However, Prof. Pate said President Tinubu’s administration is focused on expanding financial protection for all Nigerians.
